A dual clutch transmission (DCT), which combines features of a manual and an automatic transmission, has oddly-numbered and evenly-numbered gears. A first input clutch is applied to engage any oddly-numbered gears such as 1st, 3th, or 5th gear. A second input clutch is similarly applied to engage any evenly-numbered gears. One of these input clutches is also engaged when entering reverse. A controller predicts the next gear to be selected using various available control inputs such as engine acceleration and braking levels, and then stages the next gear ahead of the impending shift. This dual input clutch design and advance staging functionality can result in relatively fast gear shifts.
When idling in a vehicle having a DCT, a driver can remove pressure from a brake pedal to allow the vehicle to slowly move or “creep” forward at a threshold rate of speed. Sufficient throttle request added before or during creep results in launch of the vehicle. In order to creep or launch in a vehicle having a DCT, as well as in a vehicle having a manual or an automatic manual transmission (AMT), an input clutch is applied as a designated launch clutch while the engine is idling. Control of clutch pressure during creep/launch is automatically modulated via a controller in the DCT and AMT designs, while a driver's manually-applied clutch apply pressure serves the same function in a manual transmission.